Following the loss of Trey Alexander, Bruce Pearl is eyeing Penn State Nittany Lions transfer, Izaiah Brockington, to add some backcourt depth to Auburn basketball.
After an exodus of guards this offseason that saw Justin Powell transfer to Tennessee, Jamal Johnson transfer to UAB and Javon Franklin join Tyrell “Turbo” Jones at South Alabama, Auburn added Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky), Desi Sills (Arkansas), and Zep Jasper (College of Charleston) to the depth chart via the transfer portal.
Of course, Sharife Cooper is also NBA-bound, but few expected to ever see him partake in any postseason contests while donning the orange and blue.
Brockington’s reported suitors were named by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on his verified Twitter page:
Penn State transfer Izaiah Brockington also tells me that he's receiving interest from Auburn, Georgia, St. John's, and Xavier. https://t.co/aaqxwQ6Qzi
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 27, 2021
The reported suitors for the Big Ten baller out of Philadelphia include Big East schools Xavier, St. Johns and Providence, A-10 programs La Salle and George Washington, WCC’s BYU, the America East’s UMBC, the ACC’s Wake Forest and Boston College, the Big 12’s Iowa State, and three SEC rivals in Georgia, Arkansas, and Auburn basketball.
Clearly, Brockington valued proximity to home in his first decision, but now three years into his career, he may have a different outlook. That several schools from the south are pursuing Brockington indicates that his recruitment may be pretty open in regards to geography.
Out of any of the programs offering him a scholarship, none profile to rise quite like the Tigers in 2020-21. Brockington could step in and compete with Sills for a starting role heading into his senior year, and at worst, he could provide a veteran fallback option in the backcourt.
Pearl will have competition, but none have the recent track record of success that the long-time SEC coach wields as one of the members of the 2019 Final Four.